Lost in London
by fairfarrenlovelylydia
Summary: A six year old Alice becomes lost in the large city when she is visiting with her father and Margaret. She makes a new friend along the way. Written for the AiW 2010 Writing Challenges forum located in the AiW 2010 Forum section.


**Written for the Alice in Wonderland Writing Challenges Forum located in the AiW 2010 Forum page. Any and all are welcome!**

**Prompt: Lost**

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><p>Alice felt very pretty the day she first went to London; dressed in a powder blue frock with a white apron. Her curly locks falling to frame her heart shaped face and large green eyes as she waited eagerly for her father to meet her and Margaret out in front of the house. He allowed the two to come on business with him to the city and promised that he would let them go out to explore every day they stayed. He even promised to give them six pence each to spend on candies.<p>

"But Alice," He had said to her before they entered the apartment the night before. "You have to promise me that you will stay by Margaret's side." She had eagerly nodded her blonde locks in agreement.

She stood now with her sister waiting for her father to come out to grant them the money before he hailed a cab to take them to the center of town where he would conduct business in the various commerce buildings while his daughters ran about the city streets looking at all the exciting attractions. It seemed hours before he finally emerged and Alice's already short patience was being tested. She tapped the toe of her shoe as he descended the stairs, her arms crossed.

"Is my little dreamer a little impatient?" Charles Kingsleigh laughed. Margaret let out a huff.

"When is Alice _not_ waiting without patience?" She groaned. Charles leaned to kiss his eldest on the head.

"Sometimes the rest of society can't have the virtuous patience of my merry Maggie." He said and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Margaret rested her head against her father's chest.

Alice looked up to her sister who was nearly twelve years old, Alice was now officially half her age. She had an imagination so wild it drove the preteen older girl mad. She dreaded the idea of watching Alice in the bustling streets of London. She loved her parents too much to disobey and as much as her little sibling drove her ludicrous she still cared deeply for her. But she still threatened Alice by telling her that she'd tell her parents about the day she ran off chasing a stupid white ole' rabbit when she was supposed to be doing her lessons in the field. She had been given permission not a ticket to run wild and not heed her education. Alice didn't want to get a welting from her father (for her valued education as much as imagination) for her disobedience and enduring Margaret's bossiness for a few hours would be much more endurable than a sore behind that stung for days would.

The cab arrived while Alice was in deep thought and she couldn't remember climbing into the large black carriage or most of the ride. All she could remember was a dull droning in the background. She was far too preoccupied after weighing out Margaret's bullying with Father's spanking with the city itself. The large buildings so close together absolutely amazed her. She couldn't imagine living in a house with someone right next to her. The house seemed barely large enough to be live in itself.

"They can't contain more than at kitchen and sitting room at best!" Alice said aloud.

"Alice Kingsleigh," She heard her father's voice reverberating through her wild thoughts.

"Y-yes Father?" She asked as she turned her face to look at him.

"You are listening aren't you?"

"Of course!" She lied and she felt her cheeks turning rosy.

"I just want to make sure that you don't want to see you are Maggie wandering down the wrong kinds of roads. You know that there are bad people mixed even among the good." He said to her. She nodded her head still foggy about what he was even talking about in the first place.

"That's my girl," He patted her leg and smiled at her. Margaret glared over at her through slanted eyes. Alice sunk deeper into her seat. Her sister knew that she hadn't listened at all.

The cab lurched to a stop a few minutes later and Alice was once again dazzled by the sights and sounds of the city.

"Alright, my Princesses," Charles looked down to his daughters as he reached into his pocket to pull out twelve pence. "You be sure to stay on the roads I told you about. Alice, stay with Margaret. I want you two to meet me back here near the commerce building." He pointed at the building behind him. "I wnt you here by no later than eleven o clock. It is eight now, please don't be late." He handed each of the girls six pence. They took it with delightful squeals and Margaret took Alice by the small hand, hurrying her to the corner to cross the street.

"Remember girl, ELEVEN!" Their father called after them.

It had been two hours and Alice was waiting impatiently as Margaret had paused before _another_ window of a dress store. The only downside of having your older sister escort you everywhere was that you usually didn't get to go the places you wanted. Alice had wanted to stop in the pet shop but Margaret had shaken her dark curls. Next Alice tried to get her sister to look in the candy shop but her sister fretted about gaining too much weight too fast.

"One has to become _pleasantly plump_ not _overly obese_." She had scolded her sister.

"I am sure you aren't going to get too fat eating a couple chocolates." Alice stuck her lower lip out. But Margaret had marched forward and Alice followed begrudgingly behind. She was now sitting on the edge of the sidewalk, throwing small pebbles in the street to entertain herself.

"You can't buy a dress for six pence, stupid." Alice said to her sister but Margaret ignored her.

"I am going to go inside, Alice." Margaret said with a smile. "Are you going to sit here or are you going to come.

"I am pleased with the dresses I have," Alice said and Margaret placed her hands on her hips.

"I wasn't going to buy, Alice. Just browsing."

"Browsing, what a pity." A deep voice came from behind the two and Margaret spun around while Alice looked up to see a burly looking young gentleman with a top hat upon his head and a nice suit upon his body grinning at Margaret. He couldn't have been more than sixteen. "You would look stunning in those dresses miss." He said to Margaret. Margaret blushed a violent red. Alice rolled her eyes. Boys were big, air headed oafs. Time need not be wasted on them. However, Margaret was coming to an age where girls lost their senses and thought otherwise which drove Alice insane.

"Why thank you, Mister…I'm sorry I didn't catch your name." Margaret placed a sigh hand on her chest. The man took his top hat off and bowed a little.

"I'm sorry miss, the name is Leonard." He said with a smile. "Are you two alone today?"

"Yes, my father owns part of a trading company and he's in one of his business meetings. I'm with my sister Alice." She motioned toward the girl sitting upon the sidewalk. Alice sighed. "My name is Margaret Kingsleigh."

"It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Margaret Kingsleigh. Please, may I buy an apple or perhaps a croissant for you at one of the markets a little down the street? You look a little hungry and I would hate to see you faint later in the road."

"Of course," Margaret said with a blush and took the elbow that he extended. Alice rolled her eyes and remained sitting. Margaret seemed to have forgotten her existence as she walked further down the road.

"Just as well, I can go back to the candy shop and buy a couple sweets and be back to the sidewalk before this dress shop in no time!" Alice said with a firm nod of the head. So up she went, brushing off the backside of her dress as she stood. She took a left down the street and was trying to remember where exactly the candy shop had been. She was sure it had been just down the road.

"Perhaps it was to my left." So a left she took indeed.

Had Alice been listening to her father instead of dreaming in the cab she would have noticed that the particular street she had just turned down was one her father had warned her about. It would only lead to worse places. But she hadn't been listening so onward she went.

The shops and markets didn't look at all familiar to what she had passed before and Alice began to panic. She took a right down the next intersection and then a left. Nothing was looking familiar and she was beginning to panic. A gruff man pushing a cart of potent smelling onions passed and Alice looked up to him with her big, watering green eyes.

"Please sir, can you perhaps tell me what time it is?"

"Time fer yeh teh ge' los'." He said angrily. Alice began to shake in fear and was relieved to see that he had no intentions of stopping.

A woman wrapped in a quilt sat across the narrow street and she called out to Alice. The girl noticed she was working on a blanket, her crocheting needles clicking furiously.

"Donnae bo'er with Grennon. E's a rude ohn 'e is. Et's narly ten thir'y." She smile at Alice and the girl noticed her teeth were rotting out.

_Ten Thirty!_ The thought suddenly donned on her. A half hour and she was supposed to be meeting her father. She must have been wandering the streets for quite awhile.

Alice was becoming overwhelmed with anxiety as she stumbled down the streets and the next staircase she found she sat down and began to cry. Her fat tears poured down her face.

"Wha's teh ma'er li'le ohn," A voice came from behind her. She turned to see a dark hard man dressed in a powder blue dress shirt and deep black pants, a canvas apron tied about his waist. His fingers were stained red and she noticed that he had similar colored smears across his face. His forehead was covered in sweat. But his big blue eyes seemed kind.

"I'm afraid I've lost, sir." She said, more tears coming down her face.

"Ah, a li'le clever ohn lyk yeh? Ah'll tell yeh wha', yeh cahn come inta meh shop an' Ah'll ge' yeh a cuppa. Then yeh cahn tell meh where yeh're supposed teh beh. An' Ah'll try meh bes' teh ge' yeh thar." He said and reached down with an extended hand. Alice took it and he assisted her in standing.

"Meh name's Alasdair MaCrae an' thi' es meh 'At Shop." He said as he led her in. "Wha' yehr name?"

"Alice, Alice Kingsleigh."

"Tha's ah fine name, Ahlice."

Alice found her nostrils filled with the scent of a strange chemical along with the pungent smells of leather and soap.

"Donnae min' teh smell o' teh mercury." He apologized as he went into another room. Alice looked around the shop and found that it was covered in all sorts of head equipment. They went from large hats that Ladies had sported at the different parties her family held to little fez hats. She stared at their ornate design and picked up a particular hat that caught her eye. It was a white sass hat, small with a turned up brim. Crystal clear beads rimmed the entire brim and caused the hat to make some noise as she picked it up. It was spectacularly beautiful to Alice. It had a large powder blue ribbon pinned to the back of the hat, the bow was nearly as large as the girl's face and the ribbons would certainly fall to the middle of her back. Placed in front of the ribbon on the mound of the hat were two extremely large plumes that matched the ribbon's color perfectly. She gently touched the silky feathers with her small fingers, gasping in delight. The hat had yet more detail; a large white rose with a whisper of blue tint was placed before the up tucked brim of the hat in the front. Three peacock feathers sat next to it, falling onto the plumes. Alice was taken aback by the beautiful piece.

"Jus' made tha' tehdey" The man's brogue interrupted her thoughts. The scent of Earl Grey permeated the room and it brought Alice back to the strange dreams that had haunted her nights since the day she had run off after that white rabbit. "She's a beau'y."

"It is a rather lovely hat." Alice said. Alasdair came into the room and set the teacups filled with liquid on the table, crossing the room to place the hat on Alice's blonde looks.

"Et looks splendi' on yeh, lass." He said with a smile. Alice dug into her pockets and pulled out the six pence she had.

"All I have is this." She held the moneys in her hand.

"Wehl et's yehr luc'y day! Thi' 'at es ohnly six pence!" He said and she proudly placed the money in his hand. "Now why donnae yeh come 'ere and tell meh where yehr supposed to be."

Alice went to sit upon a stool the milliner had procured and sipped her tea joyfully as she told the milliner all that had happened. Her tears had dried up since spying the hat and she sat proudly with the beautiful accessory upon her golden locks. After she told her story Alasdair pulled a pocket watch from his apron.

"Et's narhly eleven nohw. Et'll take us a good fifteen minutes teh ge' tah teh commerce buildin' so we bes' ge' goin'." He said and Alice hopped off the stool.

"You're coming with me?" Alice said with delight.

"Ah wan' teh make sure yeh ge' where yeh nehd." He said with a smile. "Ah 'ave a li'le lass of meh ohwn an' Ah wouldnae wan' 'er teh beh wanderin' all by 'er lonesome." He said and took a top hat from the door. Alice looked up at him and he extended his hand to her. She took it.

"Thank you again." She said and he nodded his head.

The walk was a good fifteen minutes long, Alice didn't recognize any of the way back so she must have been wandering a good many streets before arriving at the millinery. They walked up the street toward the building of commerce the opposite way Alice and Margaret had left. She spotted Margaret and her father standing at the corner. Margaret was ringing her hands.

"Alice!" Charles finally spotted his lost daughter and went running toward her. Alasdair smiled down at Alice.

"Ah knew we'd fin' 'em." He winked. Charles scooped Alice up in his arms in a hugging, kissing her cheek and then her neck as he held her close. His hand patting her back as he held her, his breath ragged.

"Where have you been? Margaret said you ran off-"

"Margaret forgot all about me because she saw a lousy boy." She sat on her father's arm that supported her.

"She los' 'er way a bi' bu' she go' teh meh shop so Ah coul' set 'er straight." Alasdair finally spoke up. Her father looked to the man.

"Thank you so much, you don't know how worried-"

"Ah was jus' tellin' Ahlice tha' Ah 'ave a li'le lass of meh ohwn. Ah 'ave a feelin'." He smiled. Charles held his hand out and Alasdair took it in a shake.

"I don't know how I could repay you Mister-"

"Alasdair MaCrae. An' no nehd fer thanks." He said. Alice patted the hat upon her head.

"Look what I bought from Mr. MaCrae." She said proudly.

"That is a fine hat," He turned to Alasdair. "How much do I owe you?"

"Teh lass paid meh wyth 'er six pence." He said with a nod of his head.

"Oh that can't be enough." Charles said but Alasdair held up his hand.

"Yeh cahn repay meh by lettin' 'er keep et. Ah donnae thin' Ah cahn meet another la'y who cahn pull et off. She 'as quite the style. She shoul' marry a milliner." He let out a raspy laugh. Alice clambered out of her father's arms and went to hug her newly made friend.

"Thank you Mr. MaCrae."

"Please, et's Alasdair-"

"Alright, Alasdair. Thank you! And I must come to visit you before we leave London."

"Of course, lass!" He said and looked up to Charles with a smile. "Bu' nex' time bring yeh Pa an' sisteh."

Alice turned to see that Margaret was once again a brilliant shade of rouge, though it was probably more in shame this time instead of in pleasure.

"Thank you once again, Alasdair. Charles Kingsleigh," Her father extended his hand once more.

"Wehl, take care o' yehr lass. She's a special ohn. Wouldnae wan' teh seh 'er lost." He chuckled and then turned on his way. "Fairfarren, Kingsleighs," He called as he left.

"That's a strange word." Alice observed though she felt as if she had heard it before.

"Alice, you had me worried." Her father said.

"I got a little lost." She looked up to him.

"We'll talk about it when we get home." He looked pointed at Margaret who crossed her hands behing her back and looked at her shoes. "But for now, why don't I escort my two princess to dine in a fancy restaurant for tea."

Alice was quite glad for today. Who knew that getting lost would lead to so much fun? And so many treats!

It is suffice to say that Alice felt like a right lady drinking tea and eating finger sandwiches in her white sass hat. It is also suffice to say that she indeed took Alasdair's advice in finding a mate. Though her milliner was never quite able to recreate that special hat she found the day she lost her way.


End file.
